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| Evening Parley at Rutbah |
Staff Sergeant Kristopher J. Battles, USMCR
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Acquisition Number: 2011.65.1
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Two Iraqi civilians confer with a Marine officer in 2007 under harsh floodlights at an entry control point to a Marine Corps forward operating base outside of ar-Rutbah in western al-Anbar Province, Iraq. A female Marine interprets for them (far left). Out of respect for cultural norms in Iraq and Afghanistan, female Marines interviewed and inspected local female civilians at security checkpoints. The Lioness program—and the Female Engagement Teams that followed—allowed the Marine Corps to build relationships, gather intelligence, and gain community trust during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Marines took seriously their commitments to the local populations where they operated, meeting regularly with political leaders and community elders.
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